Transportation - ecoRI Newshttp://www.ecori.org/transportation/Sat, 28 Mar 2015 10:43:30 +0000en-USSite-Server v6.0.0-3772-3772 (http://www.squarespace.com)No Rhyme or Reason to Providence’s Bike Lanes, PathsJo DetzFri, 27 Mar 2015 20:46:59 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2015/3/27/sporadic-bike-lanes-and-paths-planned-for-providence546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:5515b294e4b05ec98fdabbc9PROVIDENCE — The city only considers bike paths and lanes in situations
where roadwork is planned and conditions are right. There currently is no
protocol for identifying an area of bike-infrastructure need, and the
city’s 7-year-old bike master plan is already out of date.

Providence plans to begin or complete construction on a hodgepodge of six bike lanes this year (yellow). The lanes will have little relation to each other or existing bike lanes in the city (blue).

By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Once the city's six bicycle-lane projects are completed this year, no additional bike-path projects are planned, either through the state Department of Transportation (DOT) or the city's planning department. DOT does plan to complete a signing project on the Northwest Bike Trail from Francis Street in Providence to Lyman Street in Johnston during spring 2016.

According to Robert Azar, the city's director of planning, bike paths in Providence are only considered in situations where roadwork is planned and conditions are right for such a lane. There currently is no protocol for identifying an area of bike-infrastructure need and adding that project to a list based on its individual merits, he said.

Azar said Bike Providence, the city’s 7-year-old bike master plan, is out of date and needs to be upgraded so it better aligns with current thinking concerning bicycling infrastructure. The plan was fully implemented in 2008, and the final project of the original plan was completed in fall 2011 with the striping of bike lanes on Broadway. He said bicycling thinking has evolved since Bike Providence was finalized in fall 2011 and that the city is headed toward more proactively adding bike infrastructure than it was ready to do previously.

Azar predicted that the Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) will likely become a vehicle to more proactively identify specific bike path and infrastructure opportunities even when a lane is unrelated to upcoming road work. He cited Dean Street, where it crosses over the 6-10 Connector, as a street that the public and BPAC have identified as being an area unsafe for biking.

ecoRI News has reported on a variety of planned bicycle lanes and paths in Providence during the past two years, but none have come to fruition. Here is an update on each project:

Broadway to Kennedy Plaza. At a July 2013 public meeting about phase 3 of the Downtown Circulator Project, Azar discussed connecting the eastern terminus of Broadway’s existing bike lane to Kennedy Plaza.

Azar, who spoke at a recent BPAC meeting, said the plan would be implemented during “the coming construction season.”

Azar said sharrows will escort eastbound cyclists on Broadway over I-95 and through a safer, redesigned intersection at Lasalle Square — in front of the Hasbro Building and Trinity Brewhouse — to Fountain Street. Once on Fountain Street, a 0.2-mile buffered bike lane, the city’s first, will provide bicyclers safe passage to Dorrance Street. The buffer will probably be built of budget-friendly planters rather than an expensive curb, according to Azar. Sharrows will resume on Dorrance Street to move bikers the rest of the way to Kennedy Plaza.

Fountain Street will be reduced from three to two traffic lanes, while Dorrance Street will be changed from three one-way southbound lanes to two southbound lanes and one northbound lane. Similarly, Empire Street will be extended as a two-way street all the way to Broadway.

The westbound ride from Kennedy Plaza to Broadway is less defined — and less safe. In one scenario, bikers would follow sharrows from Kennedy Plaza to Sabin Street to Broadway. After crossing I-95, they would meet up with the existing bike lane.

Alternatively, because of an abundance of space available on Fountain Street, bikers would turn from Dorrance Street against the flow of one-way traffic onto a westbound bike lane on Fountain Street. Once at Empire Street, bikers would turn right at the newly squared-off Lasalle Square intersection and follow sharrows to Broadway, where sharrows would lead them over I-95 to the existing westbound bicycle lane.

Azar, and others at the March BPAC meeting, acknowledged the awkwardness of sending bicyclers the wrong way down a one-way street.

In response to a question asked at the meeting about why a westbound bike lane couldn’t be included on Sabin Street instead of Fountain Street, Azar said the Rhode Island Convention Center wouldn’t allow it. When asked why the Convention Center had a say in deciding the best use of the public right of way on Sabin Street, Azar responded, “There are fights that you can take on, and fights you cannot. The city was not going to take on that fight. I am being very frank in a public meeting.”

In addition to the redesigned intersection at Lasalle Square, the unintuitive Emmett Square intersection, where Exchange Street, Dorrance Street, Francis Street and Sabin Street collide, will be redesigned to better accommodate pedestrians. In both instances, Azar said pedestrian safety is overriding expected traffic congestion during peak driving hours. Initial plans to widen the southern sidewalk on Fountain Street have been removed from the project for budgetary reasons.

According to Azar, the delay between the Fountain Street bike lane’s announcement and implementation is because city resources were diverted to the recently completed Kennedy Plaza renovation.

South Main Street/South Water Street and Dyer Street/Eddy Street. At a September 2014 public meeting about the pedestrian bridge planned to cross the Providence River on the existing pilings between the Point Street Bridge and Crawford Street Bridge, officials from the DOT and Providence Planning & Development announced that designated bike lanes would be added to South Main Street and South Water Street on the east side of the river and on Dyer Street and Eddy Street on the west side. They also announced that sharrows would be painted on Clifford Street and Friendship Street.

According to Azar, the northbound bike lane on South Main Street will stretch from Point Street to James Street — a stretch of 0.2 miles — with sharrows continuing thereafter. The corresponding southbound route will include sharrows from the Crawford Street Bridge to Packet Street, after which a designated lane will continue until Point Street — a stretch of 0.4 miles.

The South Main Street and South Water Street bike lanes will be striped this summer 2015, after paving is completed on these roads, according to Rose Amoros, DOT’s chief public affairs officer. The sharrows will be added to South Main Street as part of a resurfacing project scheduled to begin later this year, she said.

On the other side of the river, bike lanes will be painted on Dyer Street and Eddy Street between Clifford and Elm Streets, a stretch of 0.3 miles, with sharrows continuing from either end. Weather permitting, striping is scheduled to begin in April.

Washington Bridge. Last November, ecoRI News reported that the bike lane and linear park crossing the Washington Bridge between Fox Point and East Providence — parallel to I-195 — was on schedule to be completed by the end of 2014. The bridge bike path is still closed.

The Blackstone River path is at the top and the Washington Bridge path is at the bottom.

According to Barry Schiller, a Rhode Island transit and bicycle advocate who attended a February DOT roundtable meeting at which Michael Lewis, the DOT director spoke, incomplete work includes some paving and the renovation of the switchback that brings people from street level to the level of the linear park on the bridge. Work is expected to resume this spring, with the ribbon cutting pushed off until summer, putting the project three seasons behind schedule.

These roundtable discussions have since been suspended, according to Schiller.

Blackstone River Bike Path. Construction of segment 1A of the Blackstone River Bikeway — the 0.6-mile portion that will connect Richmond Square near Waterman Grille to Gano Street near the I-195 exit ramp via Gano Park — is expected to begin later this year and will take about a year to complete, according to Amoros.

The timing of this project is dependent upon the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) granting a permit and right-of-way acquisitions, she said.

CRMC approval is needed because the plan for the bike path, as submitted by the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and DOT, recommends filling a small portion of the Seekonk River near the I-195 exit ramp to make room for the bike path.

]]>No Snow Delays: South Coast Rail Remains on ScheduleJo DetzWed, 11 Mar 2015 15:17:17 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2015/3/11/no-snow-delays-south-coast-rail-remains-on-schedule546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:550055e3e4b0cad2ba2e7bfdThe 20-year-old South Coast Rail, now in its preliminary design stage, has
chugged along despite a protracted planning and environmental review. Last
summer, the MBTA awarded a $12 million preliminary design contract to the
engineering firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, with an option for a $210 million
10-year final design and construction contract.BY JOYCE ROWLEY/ecoRI News contributor

“It’s pretty exciting. The goal was to get approximately 15 percent design completed by June 30, 2015,” Fox said. “We’re on target for most tasks.”

In January 2014, the Army Corps of Engineers issued a final environmental impact statement for an electric train line that will extend the existing MBTA Stoughton commuter rail line. Passing through the 2,000-acre Hockomock Swamp on an abandoned rail bed to Taunton, the new branch will split in Berkley. The main line will connect to New Bedford on existing freight tracks, and a branch will continue to Fall River.

But record snowfall beginning with the first storm on Jan. 26-27 left the T demobilized throughout Greater Boston, leaving some at the meeting questioning the viability of the project.

Fox said that $2.3 billion was allocated in the state transportation bond last year to build the SCR. Fox said they would be meeting with Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration about the project soon.

“Our goal is to sit down with them and see where we fit in," Fox said. “It’s a transportation priority and has been for several years. We can show a cost-benefit analysis of the transportation, environmental and economic development potential for the project.”

Blame for the T’s winter problems has been laid at the 9 feet of snow that incapacitated commuter lines to Worcester, Springfield, Lakeville and Stoughton; at the use of T parking lots by residents who had to stay off the streets during parking bans which then left T commuters with no place to park; on outdated equipment on some lines that couldn’t make it through deep snow.

Now, over a month later, all commuter rail lines are still on revised schedules. It remains to be seen whether promises to get the entire system in order by March 30 can be met.

In a interview with ecoRI News later, Bennett questioned the allocated amount of funding, as well as the wisdom of spending billions of dollars on a rail line that may not be used.

“I think the $2.3 billion is a vast underestimate,” she said. “Public records requests to get the most recent cost estimate were denied.”

Her group won on appeal to the state, but then only received the estimate with minor modifications. The estimate hasn’t changed much since the 2011 draft, Bennett said.

“I don’t know how much it will cost to fix the T, let alone what it will cost to do both,” she said. “The reason this matters is because if it is more, then that’s even more that we won’t put into fixing existing infrastructure.”

Transportation justiceSCR Task Force chair Susan Teal disagrees. The Rochester resident said both maintenance of the existing lines and development of the new branch are needed.

“There's plenty of money for both,” Teal said at the recent meeting.

All other major cities in Massachusetts tie into Boston via rail, except Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River. All three are “Gateway Cities” and all three have consistently pushed for the connection.

Most proponents of the rail expect it will make a connection to Boston and jobs, but will also help draw businesses to the region. In fact, regional planning agencies th Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District, Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Old Colony Regional Planning Council show anticipated growth in surrounding communities.

“Just look north to Lowell to see what rail does for a community,” Fox said. “It brings in higher-paying high-skilled jobs and builds new housing stock.”

Nearly $2 million in technical assistance grants to 31 communities over the past seven years has promoted the SCR’s “Smart Growth” planning efforts to mitigate potential impacts in advance. In fiscal 2015, the MBTA spent $353,830 on technical assistance to communities under SCR’s program.

Smart growth is a buzz-phrase for planning to minimize sprawl and reduce vehicle trips, and resulting greenhouse-gas emissions. It includes building transit-oriented development that reduces the need for additional highway infrastructure.

“Smart growth has been impactful and productive,” Fox said.

Bennett questioned the anticipated greenhouse gas-reduction benefits that the SCR may create. Instead, she said the money would be better spent creating jobs in the three targeted cities so people could work where they live.

“People are going to pay $500 to $600 per month to travel four hours on a train for what jobs in Boston?” Bennett said later. “Taking cars off the highway even if there is ridership won’t necessarily make a difference. Cars backfill in the highway when people realize there’s more room.”

Next month, the MBTA will begin construction of independent utilities, including grade crossings and a rail bridge at Wamsutta Street that will serve active freight. These components of the project need to be built even if the SCR isn't completed, according to Fox.

]]>No Snow Delays: South Coast Rail Remains on ScheduleProvidence Biking Meeting Attracts Crowd and MayorJo DetzSat, 21 Feb 2015 14:06:41 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2015/2/21/providence-bicycling-meeting-attracts-crowd-and-the-mayor546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54e8896ee4b0ffad52ae3cdcPROVIDENCE — Bicyclists and pedestrians voiced their wish lists for the
city at a recent meeting of the Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission. Too few bike lanes, too much parking, confoundingly placed
crosswalks and, of course, sidewalk snow removal were all a part of the
discussion.By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Bicyclists and pedestrians voiced their wish lists for the city at a recent meeting of the Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). Too few bike lanes, too much parking, confoundingly placed crosswalks and, of course, sidewalk snow removal were all a part of the discussion.

The Feb. 18 meeting began with a visit from Mayor Jorge Elorza.

“I want Providence to be the fittest, most active city in all of New England, and a necessary step into making that possible is making sure that we have bicycle and pedestrian friendly streets and sidewalks throughout our city,” he said. “Providence is the perfect size city to go all in on pedestrians, bike-friendliness and public transportation.”

The mayor said he plans to lead by example. “In past years we’ve had bike to work day. This year, bike to work day is going to take place every Friday,” he said. “I look forward to biking to work, bringing attention to the issue, and encouraging as many people to do so as well.”

Elorza also announced that he would join a nationwide “Mayor’s Challenge” to improve the safety of Providence’s streets. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has called on “mayors and local elected officials to take significant action to improve safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation website.

The mayor also said the League of American Bicyclists will visit Providence on April 16 to conduct a survey on the status of the city’s streets. He said the Washington, D.C.-based organization will share relevant ideas the group has observed in other cities that could be implemented in Providence.

Elorza acknowledged the issue of snow-covered sidewalks, but failed to offer solutions. “The truth is that in the past, the city simply hasn’t focused on making sure that all of us as homeowners and property owners clear our sidewalks,” he said. “Little things such as that cause so much disruption for those of us who do walk to work, take public transportation, or walk to school.”

The mayor said he has had many conversations about snow removal from sidewalks, but didn’t specify with whom he spoke or about the substance of those conversations.

The BPAC meeting aimed to compile a list of ways the city could improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, culture and safety. “Tonight is not about discussing ideas but about compiling them,” said Eric Weis, chair of the commission. He said the ideas generated would be discussed at future meetings.

ConnectivityBetter connectivity between neighborhoods was a main point of focus for the 45 or so people at the meeting. Robert Booz described his bike commute between Smith Street and South Providence as “treacherous,” because of the lack of bike- or pedestrian-friendly infrastructure along Dean Street where it crosses over the 6-10 Connector. “I take my life into my own hands,” he said. Others in attendance voiced similar concerns.

One meeting attendee said the bridges and service roads over and alongside I-95 act as a barrier between West Side neighborhoods and downtown that many cyclists are uncomfortable crossing. Another said getting to India Point Park from Wickenden Street is too difficult for cyclists and pedestrians because there are too few opportunities to cross I-195.

Barry Schiller, a North Providence resident, suggested that Providence’s bike infrastructure should aim to align with that of neighboring cities and towns. He said neighboring planning departments should be collaborating their efforts.

Doug Victor, a Providence resident and frequent public transit user, cyclist and pedestrian, voiced support for City Walk, a project that aims to connect India Point Park and Roger Williams Park via a pedestrian- and bike-friendly route.

Bike racks and lanesMeeting attendees called for more bike lanes to make riding safer and more accessible, especially for those uncomfortable riding in traffic. Charles Street, Douglas Avenue, Elmwood Avenue, Smith Street, North Main and Broad Street were all named as candidates for bike lanes.

Attendees also called on the city to install more bike racks, especially around business hubs. James Baumgartner noted that Atwells Avenue currently has no bike racks.

Jim Tull, another proponent of additional bike racks, said the Providence train station’s covered racks are a good example for the city to copy. Other users of the train station’s bike racks said vandalism is an issue.

Snow removalSidewalk snow removal was a popular topic. One West Side resident said he has stopped walking anywhere with his four children, because the condition of the sidewalks forces pedestrians to walk in the street.

Others said that the ice banks that build up on the sides of roads and corners because of street plowing make clearing sidewalks challenging or impossible. David Kolsky, an East Side resident who doesn’t drive or ride a bike, said the snow banks often block pedestrian access to well-shoveled sidewalks.

“There are some beautifully plowed sidewalks that it’s impossible to get to if you are more than an 8-year-old with an adventurous spirit,” he said.

Meeting attendees also said bus stops need to be better maintained in snowy weather. Most bus stops remain unshoveled, they said, while snow banks from plows create barriers that make boarding the bus from the sidewalk a slippery and dangerous proposition.

Resolutions offered by attendees included requiring businesses to shovel nearby bus stops or requiring firemen to shovel bus stops near hydrants, which they already shovel around after storms.

Don Rhodes, president of RIPTA Riders Alliance, suggested the state set aside a million dollars to clear the thousand most trafficked bus stops.

Victor said Providence’s snowy sidewalks lessen the city’s livability. He said he has seen baby strollers, senior citizens and disabled people struggling to walk or wheel along sidewalks or in the street. He said the most vulnerable users need to be considered when it comes to sidewalk snow removal.

ParkingJames Kennedy, an East Side resident, said parking minimums should be eliminated. Requiring businesses to maintain a minimum amount of off-street parking incentivizes driving over other modes of transportation, according to Kennedy.

Kennedy also said surface lots in Providence should be taxed to encourage development of buildings instead of impervious parking lots. According to Kennedy’s proposal, any revenue from the tax would go into reducing property taxes. He also said parking spaces should be metered to encourage faster turnover of users, adding that revenue from meters should go toward reducing property taxes.

Sam Bell suggested that bicycle parking should be more easily substituted for car parking in the zoning code.

Daniel Howe said the city should offer overnight-parking-pass holders the option of parking in large commercial lots during snow emergencies. Currently, many pass-holders are left with nowhere to move their cars when a parking ban is in effect, resulting in cars being towed and interfering with city snow-removal efforts.

Schiller suggested reducing government parking subsidies as a way of moving toward friendly roads for pedestrians and cyclists.

“State government subsidizes free parking at URI Providence even though it has transit access from every direction and is in the most congested and polluted part of the state,” he said. “They subsidize free parking for every faculty member, every staff, and every student at the Convention Center garage at huge expense.”

By reducing these subsidies, Schiller said, commuters would be forced to either pay their own way or figure out other ways to travel to campus such as by bus or by carpooling.

Crosswalks and stripingAttendees requested better road striping. Crosswalks on North Main Street and Manton Avenue were highlighted as being nonsensically placed in relation to road design and bus stops.

Eric Peterson suggested local residents should be consulted before striping occurs in their neighborhood to offer suggestions about how the city can avoid poor striping decisions that may not be obvious to decision makers unfamiliar with the neighborhood being striped.

Multiple people called for Bike Providence, the city’s bicycling master plan, to be updated. Alex Krogh-Grabbe suggested creating a bike and pedestrian coordinator position within city government.

Schiller suggested better enforcing current speed limits and other laws designed to protect pedestrians, such as the requirement for cars to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Howe suggested reducing the city speed limit to 15 mph to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

]]>Providence Biking Meeting Attracts Crowd and MayorRevamped Kennedy Plaza, New Tech Spur RIPTAJo DetzFri, 13 Feb 2015 21:54:22 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2015/2/13/revamped-kennedy-plaza-new-technology-spur-ripta546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54de6ce7e4b08bab4fb41dadPROVIDENCE — During the past two years, the Rhode Island Public Transit
Authority has implemented a number of changes to the state’s bus system,
including a rapid bus route, improved capacity to offer riders real-time
bus information and the highly discussed renovation of Kennedy Plaza.

By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — During the past two years, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) has implemented a number of changes to the state’s bus system, including a rapid bus route, improved capacity to offer riders real-time bus information and the highly discussed renovation of Kennedy Plaza.

The R-Line, a rapid bus route designed to alleviate congested local service on Broad Street and North Main Street, began servicing riders in June 2014. The route stretches between the Cranston line to downtown Pawtucket. In order to decrease travel time, lesser-used bus stops were eliminated and a system that coordinates traffic signals with approaching buses was added.

According to Barbara Polichetti, RIPTA’s director of public affairs, travel time on the R-Line has decreased by about 18 percent. Prior to the transition, the route took about 56 minutes to complete; now it takes about 46 minutes. Polichetti said travel time will continue to decrease as the system that coordinates traffic signals with buses is fine-tuned.

Prior to implementation, transit advocates pushed back against the elimination of bus stops along the R-Line. The advocacy group RIPTA Riders Alliance took the position that sacrificing bus accessibility for faster travel times wouldn’t best serve ridership, especially those unable to walk long distances to bus stops. In response to those concerns, RIPTA added two stops to the R-line route, Polichetti said. She noted that there have been minimal complaints about the spacing and location of the stops since the R-Line began running.

However, the quarter-mile spacing between stops remains an issue, according to several RIPTA Riders.

“It has become a winter of discontent, as people have to walk longer, often in the street (because of snow-covered sidewalks), to reach their stops,” RIPTA Riders President Don Rhodes said. He also said R-Line buses are overcrowded, resulting in buses skipping stops where prospective passengers are waiting to board.

“The only way to get on was if someone got off,” Rhodes said of his experience with the R-Line.

According to Polichetti, RIPTA hasn’t experienced an increase in ridership since the launch of the R-Line. She said RIPTA anticipates an increase now that construction at Kennedy Plaza is complete and after gas prices revert to normal levels from recent unusual lows.

Polichetti also said RITPA has no plans to replicate the R-Line elsewhere, but said some features, such as coordinating traffic signals with approaching buses, may be incorporated on additional routes in the future.

That’s the ticketTicket vending machines, scheduled to be installed this spring in Kennedy Plaza, will reduce travel time on buses that serve the downtown transportation hub, according to Polichetti. These machines will make it easier and quicker for passengers to board buses, by allowing riders to buy tickets and passes while waiting for their bus. The machines will initially only accept credit cards, but may eventually be programmed to accept cash, Polichetti said.

Additional locations that may receive vending machines include the Providence train station and downtown Pawtucket, she said.

In June 2013, RIPTA announced it would update its buses and many of its shelters to include real-time information via the Automated Transit Management System (ATMS). Since then, all buses have been fitted with hardware to provide automated audio and visual stop announcements to riders. The technology is designed to make riders aware of upcoming bus stops and transfer opportunities.

Real-time bus information is more readily available at Kennedy Plaza. All new shelters in Kennedy Plaza include digital signs capable of displaying real-time information. The signs are mostly operational, according to Polichetti. After RIPTA overcomes any initial glitches, signs will be added to the remaining shelters. Real-time information also is available on a digital display inside the customer center at Kennedy Plaza.

Additional real-time information features highlighted in June 2013 haven’t yet been introduced. The ATMS could conceivably allow riders awaiting a bus to text a bus stop-specific code to a RIPTA telephone number and receive wait-times for upcoming buses serving that stop. Web and mobile applications that would offer real-time bus information are currently under development, according to Polichetti.

Grand reopeningKennedy Plaza recently reopened, after undergoing a $2.4 million renovation. The construction project decentralized bus stops by relocating some shelters to the periphery of the plaza and eliminating one designated bus lane from the center of the plaza. The new configuration is designed to be more pedestrian friendly and aesthetically appealing.

Riders wait at a new Kennedy Plaza bus stop. A sign offering real-time bus information is included at each new shelter in the plaza.

According to Polichetti, response to the new plaza has been positive. New passenger amenities include improved bus signage, new lighting and three-sided shelters that better protect passengers from the weather. The downtown plaza will also be a shadier place, thanks to the addition of newly planted honey locust and Valley Forge American elm trees.

“The area will be a more appealing public space that can be used for art installations and other community projects,” Polichetti said. “RIPTA is looking forward to seeing these new uses for the plaza evolve when warmer weather arrives.”

Barry Schiller, a longtime Rhode Island transit advocate and a member of RIPTA Riders, describes himself as being “in the middle” regarding Kennedy Plaza’s redesign. Schiller said that for some routes the new plaza provides an improved experience. The No. 57 Smith Street bus, for example, used to load on a narrow island with no shelter — the redesign resolved those issues. Meanwhile, other bus stops, such as the No. 14 Narragansett and No. 66 URI have been moved across Burnside Park, making transfers more time consuming and challenging, especially for less-mobile riders, he said.

Polichetti said there have not been major complaints about the decentralization of bus stops in the newly renovated plaza.

Schiller said many of the improvements in the plaza could have been achieved on the original footprint. Real-time bus information and improved signage could have been added to existing shelters, he said.

The new-look plaza is unlikely to encourage more pedestrian activity, according to Schiller. He said the removal of one designated bus lane makes the plaza wider and more pedestrian friendly, but added that continuing to allow eastbound automobile traffic to cut through the center of the plaza on Washington Street, coupled with the predominantly concrete facade of the new plaza and the continued presence of transit passengers, will dissuade pedestrians from using the plaza.

“Overall, not worth the money and months of disruption,” he said. “But I could be wrong.”

RIPTA’s outreach to educate and assist riders through the transition to the new plaza configuration was adequate, according to Polichetti. Efforts included having staff present in the plaza for several days before and after reopening, printed literature explaining new bus-stop locations, and a web and social-media campaign to inform riders of changes.

“Anecdotal information indicates that it didn’t take most riders very long to become comfortable with the new layout,” Polichetti said.

Rhodes, president of RIPTA Riders, said the old plaza had become dysfunctional because of increased bus ridership. After the renovation, he said, taking the bus to the plaza “is a pleasant experience. Hopefully, it will be taken care of and not become a refurbished version of the past.”

RIPTA is expected to soon begin work on additional improvements to the state’s system of transit hubs. The Gateway Transportation and Visitors Center in Newport will be repaired and redesigned via a $1.6 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, according to Polichetti. The city-owned facility was built in 1985, and houses the Newport Visitors Center, customer parking, bus berths, bicycle facilities and taxi stands. It was damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The project will make the intermodal facility on America’s Cup Avenue more resilient to future storms, Polichetti said.

In partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, RIPTA will also begin developing a network of transit hubs in Providence to alleviate congestion at Kennedy Plaza. The project will be funded by the $35 million bond passed by voters last November. The work will create new transportation hubs at the train station in Providence and at the Garrahy Judicial complex, according to Polichetti.

The Washington Bridge linear park will include a bike lane and pedestrian path. Two historic drawbridge operators’ houses have been restored as part of the project. (Artist rendering/for DOT)

PROVIDENCE — Construction on the bike lane and linear park crossing the Washington Bridge that connects Providence and East Providence is winding down. The bridge, closed to bicyclers and pedestrians since July 2012, is on schedule to reopen before the end of the year, according to Rose Amoros, chief public affairs officer for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT).

The Washington Bridge straddles the Seekonk River, carrying traffic on I-195 between Fox Point in Providence and East Providence. The bridge’s bike lane offers easy access to the off-road portion of the East Bay Bike Path and is used by recreational bicyclers and bike commuters. Since the bike lane’s closure, cyclists have had to navigate a 3-mile round-trip detour over the Henderson Bridge, which doesn’t have a bike lane.

Within the footprint of the existing bridge, DOT is building a wider bikeway and linear park. Once open, it’s expected to feature a separate bikeway and walking path, scenic overlooks, park benches, decorative lighting and landscaped planters. The project also has restored the historic, multi-arch granite façade of the Washington Bridge and two operators’ houses from which an original drawbridge was controlled.

“The project is currently trending on budget,” Amoros said. The original budget for the project was about $22 million.

The new linear park will be named the George Redman Linear Park, after the late East Providence resident who was instrumental in making the East Bay Bike Path a reality 25 years ago.

“When construction is done, cyclists will have a vastly different experience riding into Providence,” DOT director Michael P. Lewis said when construction began in 2012. “We eagerly await the reopening of this bridge as not only a first-class bikeway, but as a new park and destination for the city.”

Resurfacing plans

As one section of the East Bay Bike Path is set to reopen, another is scheduled to close. During summer 2015, 11 miles of the popular 14.5-mile bike path, from Independence Park in Bristol to Riverside Square in East Providence, are scheduled to be resurfaced and restriped. The bike path, built from 1987-1992, has become bumpy in places, mostly because tree roots have pushed up the asphalt.

The project is expected to take a month to complete and will require temporary closures of the bike path, according to Amoros. The sequence of the work hasn’t yet been determined, so exact closure information remains unavailable.

“The ultimate goal is to complete the resurfacing as quickly as possible while minimizing the disruption for path users,” Amoros said.

The project is budgeted at $750,000 and will include new signage and milepost markers, according to Amoros. DOT also is working to set aside money in the contract to combat the prolific knotweed along the path, she said.

These aren’t your father’s electric vehicles. EVs now go further, charge quicker and drive faster than the original hybrid gas-electric vehicles sold back in 2000. Now, with a network of more than 20,000 charging stations across the country, electricity could one day replace the use of gasoline in our massive fleet of cars.

Last year, the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) used a $781,225 federal grant to commission ChargePoint, a leading global operator of charging stations, to locate sites and install 50 charging stations. Working with Wendy Lucht of the Ocean State Clean Cities Coalition, ChargePoint sited chargers at locations convenient to businesses, shopping centers and residential neighborhoods. The state now has a total of 60 publicly accessible charging stations.

As of July, Rhode Island had some 350 EVs on the road, according to Ryan Cote, OER’s program services manager. That figure only includes plug-in EVs, not gas hybrids without rechargeable batteries.

“We will be working closely with DMV to track and monitor EVs,” Cote said. The number of Rhode Island EVs may be higher, he added, since the state Division of Motor Vehicles relies on owners to identify their vehicles’ energy source, which can be confusing. The DMV will have new software soon that uses the vehicle’s VIN instead, and will be better able to track the types of EVs on the road.

In Massachusetts, as of July, the state had 2,881 plug-in hybrids and 1,334 battery-only EVs registered, according to Massachusetts Clean City Coalition executive director Stephen Russell.

A $2 million consumer rebate program that Massachusetts started in June offers up to $2,500 on qualifying new EVs. As of Oct. 16, 371 vehicle owners had received rebates totaling $941,500. Rebates are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Last year, the state implemented the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Initiative (MEVI) program as part of its Clean Energy and Climate Change Plan goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. Since transportation comprises a third of greenhouse-gas emissions, the state has put EVs and the necessary charging infrastructure to the fore. To date, Massachusetts has spent $20 million on rebates for EVs, state fleet alternate-fuel vehicles and EV infrastructure.

Massachusetts now has 575 publicly accessible charging stations, and has a $400,000 grant program to put eight more DC Fast charging stations on the interstate highway system.

“There are stations at the Nantucket airport and downtown Nantucket. The Athol public library has two in front of it,” Russell said. These municipal stations were paid for as part of $848,000 in federal and private grants that installed 142 charging stations around the state.

The average cost to install a dual charging station is about $5,000 to $6,000, according to Russell. Level 1 stations are 120-volt chargers; Level 2 are 240-volt power chargers, which cut the charge time by half to an hour or two. DC Fast charging stations are direct current 500-volt charges that take less than 30 minutes to bring a battery to full charge.

Making the switch

Original hybrids ran on gas with an electric engine alongside for travel below speeds of 25 mph. The top two hybrids, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight, hit the market in 2000 and are now outpaced by all-electric zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

In a hybrid, the electric engine is charged by a battery that is recharged by the kinetic energy from braking. This mix of electric power around town and gas power on the highway brought higher total ratings for miles per gallon, but still relied primarily on gasoline.

In EVs, the opposite is true. EVs have an electric engine as its primary power drive and a small gas engine for extra range. These are also plug-in vehicles, meaning they can charge at home or at a public charging station.

The first big change to EVs came in 2010, when the federal government offered tax-credit incentives to consumers and required car manufacturers to increase average fleet gas mileage to 26 mph under Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations. Most car manufacturers came out with plug-ins, including high-end models such as Porsche, BMW and Cadillac, and the more moderately priced Chevrolet, Ford and Honda. Toyota, the standard-bearer for fuel efficiency, modified several of its models to plug-in hybrids.

At the same time, technological changes such as rechargeable batteries and standard-sized plugs made owning an EV easier.

But sales were still sluggish until 2012, when a second major federal incentive program through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) paid states to build charging infrastructure. That, in combination with even higher capacity batteries, made the switch to all-electric battery-only vehicles (BEVs) possible.

Range anxiety

“Range and price have been the drawbacks,” OER’s Cote said. The lower the price, the lower the distance between charges.

The Prius plug-in hybrid ranks at the low end, with less than 15 miles per charge before using its gasoline engine; the Chevy Volt gets over double that at 38 miles before the gas engine kicks in to feed it enough juice for another 20 miles. In between is the Ford Fusion with a 20-mile range.

And then there’s the two-seater Tesla Roadster, reminiscent of a ’69 Corvette, that can go more than 200 miles before a charge and has a top-end speed of 125 mph. The Roadster’s base price is $109,000, but a more affordable sedan, the BlueStar, is slated to go on the market soon for $30,000.

The advantage of a plug-in is just that, said John Gilbrook, Northeast regional manager for ChargePoint. Founded in Campbell, Calif., in 2007, ChargePoint now operates nearly 20,000 charging stations in the United States.

Those short distances used to give EV owners “range anxiety,” Gilbrook said. For consumers who are used to having gas stations within a tankful of gas, they can now have a charge within range of their battery.

“Now people have ‘gas anxiety,’” said Gilbrook, noting EV owners are now more worried about using gas, so they charge up three times more frequently. Gilbrook said he knowns one Chevy Volt owner who never used gas in the 3,300 miles that he’s owned the car.

ChargePoint offers a dashboard mobile app that shows the nearest charging station, whether it’s available, and cost and fees for charging. Charges range from 3-15 kilowatt-hours (kWh), depending on the battery capacity. Costs run about 15 cents per kWh for charging.

To see how that 2015 Porche Panamera S E-Hybrid PHEV rates against the 2015 Nissan Leaf EV, visit the DOE’s website or its alternate fuel webpage. Visit the Plug-in America website and compare range, equivalent miles per gallon, price, size, top speeds and carbon dioxide emissions for some 30 models of EVs.

]]>Narragansett Bay Features Huge Bike LaneFrank CariniTue, 30 Sep 2014 11:49:21 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/9/30/narragansett-bay-features-huge-bike-lane.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc0a0fNEWPORT, R.I. — What does a resident of Aquidneck Island do when he can’t
cross the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge on his bike? To solve the problem,
Tyson Bottenus built an aquatic alternative.

By ecoRI News staff

NEWPORT, R.I. — What does a resident of Aquidneck Island do when he can’t cross the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge on his bike? To solve the problem, Tyson Bottenus built an aquatic alternative using a kit that would allow him to cross Narragansett Bay on his 1980s Peugeot bicycle.

A movable drive train converts power from the rear wheel into a propeller just beneath the front wheel. The two pontoons are fully collapsible and fit snugly into a backpack. While Bottenus didn't require a helmet on this maiden voyage, he did decide to bring an orange life jacket.

]]>Amtrak Looks to Become More Bike FriendlyFrank CariniMon, 07 Jul 2014 19:42:44 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/7/7/amtrak-looks-to-become-more-bike-friendly.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a86059e4b091ed4ddc04e6Bicycles may soon be allowed on Amtrak trains chugging through the
Northeast and other parts of the country.By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Bicycles may soon be allowed on Amtrak trains chugging through the Northeast and other parts of the country. It seems like a simple service to offer the multi-modal traveler, but currently bikes are only permitted on a few Amtrak routes north of Boston, or if the bike is disassembled and packed in a box.

Amtrak says it's testing new baggage cars fitted with bike racks on 15 long-haul routes to Chicago, New Orleans, Miami and the busy Washington-to-Boston corridor. Testing of these cars will stop by the end of 2014.

Eric Weis, the Providence-based trail program coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, said allowing bikes is a positive move by Amtrak, but he also noted that the limited availability of baggage cars — only two trains per day, one in each direction — doesn’t do much for commuters or travelers making short trips.

“This step will not be terribly impactful on multi-modal commuting in the Northeast," Weis said. "Perhaps its strongest impact in our area will be on tourism."

Gordon Harris of Bike New England recalled parking his bike in a special onboard rack a dozen years ago on trains between Los Angeles and San Diego.

“We're long overdue for bicycle facilities on Amtrak in the Northeast,” he said.

The new bicycle service is part of a two-year plan for new baggage cars and revamped diner and sleeper cars. Amtrak won't say the cost for bike storage nor the specific train routes.

“It’s clear that Americans want a national system of intercity passenger rail and Amtrak is moving ahead to build new equipment to meet customer demand,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman wrote in a recent blog post.

Other New England trains are generally more accommodating to bicycles. The MBTA commuter rail allows bikes on all of its commuter trains, with some notable exceptions. Bikes are only allowed during off-peak hours on most trains, including the Stoughton line, which runs from Wickford Junction in North Kingstown, R.I., to Boston's South Station.

The Shore Line East and the MTA's Metro-North Railroad in Connecticut also allow bikes. Although Metro-North does not allow bikes during rush hour.

]]>Amtrak Looks to Become More Bike FriendlyAre Hydrogen Vehicles Part of the Solution?Frank CariniMon, 02 Jun 2014 12:07:04 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/6/2/are-hydrogen-vehicles-part-of-the-solution.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc0a0dHydrogen-powered cars recently arrived in the United States, but it's
unclear if the vehicles are good for the environment or if drivers will
embrace them.

A Mercedes-Benz hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. (Green Car Reports)

While hydrogen vehicles are one of several ‘green’ vehicles being promoted, there’s debate about whether they are environmentally friendly

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Hydrogen-powered cars recently arrived in the United States, but it's unclear if the vehicles are good for the environment or if drivers will embrace them.

The first hydrogen-fueled cars, made by Hyundai, arrived in California on May 20. Honda and other car manufacturers expect their hydrogen vehicles to arrive in the Northeast next year.

Hydrogen vehicles are one of several "green" vehicles promoted by the eight-state, zero-emission vehicle challenge, known as the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The eight-state coalition includes Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, Maryland, California and Oregon. The non-binding program seeks 3.3 million battery-electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen-fueled vehicles on U.S. roads by 2025.

To get there, the states plan to install charging and alternative-fuel fillings stations, increase ZEVs in government fleets and offer financial incentives to increase use by businesses and everyday drivers. Rhode Island promoted hydrogen vehicles and its involvement in the ZEV program during a forum last month in Providence.

Because of engineering constraints, hydrogen vehicles can't run on pure hydrogen. Hydrogen ZEVs are instead hybrids that use hydrogen fuel cells to power an electric engine.

Of course, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles need hydrogen fueling stations. Currently, there are two publicly accessible stations in New England, located in Billerica, Mass. and Wallingford, Conn. A third is expected this year in Braintree, Mass. A 2012 study for Rhode Island suggests 30 potential hydrogen fueling stations across the state. Each station costs about $1 million.

Although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it's scarce in its pure state. Creating hydrogen as fuel requires energy. A process using steam, called reformation, is the most commom method. Other methods extract hydrogen from water by using natural gas and through a process called electrolysis. Natural gas, obviously, is a fossil fuel, while electrolysis and reformation typically require other fossil fuels or electricity from the power grid. Prototypes systems, however, use renewable energy to make hydrogen.

According to the federal Alternative Fuels Data Center, hydrogen created from natural gas releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the average gas-powered car, while hydrogen derived from electrolysis produces more.

However, a study by the California Energy Commission says hydrogen obtained from electrolysis generates 33 percent fewer greenhouse gases relative to gasoline. The discrepancy may be from assumptions that use California's relatively green electricity supply and expected advancements in making electrolysis more energy efficient.

A study by the U.S. Department of Energy says the New England electric generation mix also has enough renewable energy to make electrolysis the greener choice for hydrogen production. A report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says hydrogen produced by natural gas or electrolysis releases fewer greenhouse gases than natural gas-powered vehicles.

“Based on this information, hydrogen fuel produced by natural gas or by electrolysis is a greener, cleaner fuel source than that produced from petroleum,” said Marion Gold, commissioner of Rhode Island’s Office of Energy Resources.

ENE, an environmental advocacy group, applauded the ZEV mandate. But ENE staff attorney Mark LeBel said it’s too early to know which, if any, hydrogen-production technology will be adopted.

“The hydrogen for fuel-cell vehicles can be made in many different ways, some of which are environmentally friendly but some of them are not," he said. "At this point, it's really hard to say how the market for hydrogen will develop, so it's difficult to figure out greenhouse gas impacts with any rigor.”

Plug-in electric vehicles, LeBel noted, curb greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent compared to a gas-powered vehicle. “By contrast, with EVs, we already have an electric system so we can get a pretty good handle on the impacts," he said.

According to the federal government, the intent is to offer several zero-emission vehicles and see which ones are accepted. This may include passenger vehicles, buses, delivery vans and/or tractor-trailers, since each has unique energy needs. Hydrogen fuel cells appear to offer environmental benefits for vehicles that currently burn diesel fuel to generate electricity to cool buses and refrigerated trucks.

“We’re not really betting the farm on one certain technology,” said Greg Moreland, a consultant with the U.S. Department of Energy. “I'm hopeful this will be a solution."

Other ideas tested by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory power electrolysis with solar PVs and wind power during off-peak hours. Both concepts, however, are still in their infancy.

“The bottom line is people aren’t going to buy these vehicles unless they make sense,” said Joel Rinebold of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technologies.

The May 28 conference was sponsored by Ocean State Clean Cities, a state and federally sponsored advocacy program that promotes alternative and renewable-energy fuels.

A customer preps for a test ride of an e-bike outside Pedego Electric Bikes in Barrington. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News photos)

Is an electric bicycle cheating? For purists, the answer is likely “yes.” But for some, an electric boost simply makes it easier to ditch the car.

"It gets you out there,” said Brad Raugley, owner of an elongated cargo-style bike he uses to shuttle his two toddlers around Providence.

Raugley estimates he logs 150 miles a week biking his kids, 18 months and 5 years old, to preschool and running errands from their home off Hope Street.

“We bought it as a replacement to a car,” he said, waiting for repairs to the family vehicle at Legend Bicycle on Brook Street.

The 10-pound battery pack is slightly smaller than a school textbook but provides enough juice to power the average e-bike to 20 mph without pedaling. Raugley’s two-wheeler weighs about 700 pounds fully loaded with two kids, one adult and groceries, yet the lithium-ion battery makes hills and headwinds a breeze for pedaling.

The biking is so effortless that the family's one remaining car gets little use, even during the winter.

“I find the bike takes away your excuses,” Raugley said.

Jack Madden, owner of Legend Bicycle, said there is certainly a market for e-bikes. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot more on the road as time goes on, and that’s a good thing," he said.

Raugley’s station wagon-style bike is one small but growing line of alternative bicycles. The more common e-bike is more subtle. It looks like the standard rental bikes on Block Island, with generous seats, wide handlebars and ample tires.

In fact, Mark DeStefano recently opened electric bike shops in Wickford and Barrington to rent and sell e-bikes to the more easy-going crowd: people who want to exercise, but dislike treadmills and battling big hills. The demographic is, of course, the baby boomer generation.

“As the bikers get older, they still want to ride but they can’t ride like they used to,” DeStefano said.

Technically, e-bikes aren’t fully battery powered, and are considered low-speed bicycles, meaning that according to state law they have a top speed of 20 mph and working pedals. State law doesn’t prevent the bikes from going faster, although the engine turns off at 20 mph.

That’s plenty fast enough for most e-bikers, DeStefano said. Many customers have bad knees or other ailments that keep them from going all out, he said. A bike that gets around town, works on a bike path, or improves the commute to work is more than adequate.

“It’ll take a 200-pound guy up College Hill without pedaling,” DeStefano said.

The price of an e-bike starts at about $500, with high-end models topping $5,000. DeStefano’s Pedego line is a mid-priced, sturdy design that cost between $2,600 and $3,700. Much like a motorcycle, a throttle on the handlebar controls the power from the electric engine, which sits in the hub of the rear tire.

Just about any bicycle can go electric with a conversion kit that costs about $500.

Either way the concept appears to be catching on. After notable failures to launch e-bikes in the United States, such as Lee Iacocca’s EV Global line that ran from 1999 to 2004, the e-bike appears to be gaining traction. Sales have grown steadily during the past 10 years, as the batteries shifted from lead to the smaller and lighter lithium-ion, which has allowed the latest e-bikes to shed the moped look.

Europe and China, meanwhile, have established e-bike markets. The United States is way behind, although sales doubled between June 2012 and June 2013, according to EV World. Some 900 retailers now carry e-bikes.

Jeff Wise, 62, of Acton, Mass., tested a Pedego bike outside the Barrington store during a recent break from a ride along the East Bay Bike Path. “It’s fantastic idea,” he said, standing beside his French-made Motobecane bike he bought for $300 in 1979.

Wise said he may wait to make a purchase until the batteries store more power. They currently run 20-40 miles per charge. Still, he said, the e-bike is a smart environmental choice. Even if it's charged with electricity from a fossil-fuel power plant, the bike weighs considerably less than a car and uses far less energy.

“I think it’s great to have electric,” he said.

]]>Electric Bicycles Gaining Traction LocallyRoutes 6 and 10 Put Providence in ChokeholdFrank CariniFri, 11 Apr 2014 17:11:08 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/4/11/routes-6-and-10-put-providence-in-chokehold.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc0a04PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island's Capital City has moved a highway (I-195), but
some cities are actually removing them.Would removing the 6-10 Connector remake the city for the better?

By JAMES KENNEDY/ecoRI News contributor

PROVIDENCE — Our Capital City has moved a highway (I-195), but some cities are actually removing them. Two highways I’ve wanted to claw out with my own hands since arriving here are Routes 6 and 10, which cut neighborhood from neighborhood throughout the city, and strangulate Olneyville from all sides.

I recently spoke with some prominent local people, as well as some national highway removal experts, to hear what they thought we could do with Providence’s ugly, concrete monsters.

Dump truck heard round the worldEarly on the morning of Dec. 15, 1973, a young Sam Schwartz got a call. Brittle from mismanagement, a piece of the West Side Highway had collapsed under the weight of a dump truck working to repair it. Schwartz, now known around the country as the transit advocate “Gridlock Sam,” was just an unknown junior engineer then, and was tasked with the duty of finding out how to cope with all the excess gridlock that New York City’s traffic department expected.

“We really didn’t know what would happen at the time,” Schwartz said. “I set up counters on all the avenues, which was easy to do because it was gridded Manhattan. Within a week the traffic dissipated. It was weird. We couldn’t find any extra cars anywhere.”

Traffic didn’t get worse in New York because drivers chose a different time or route to get to their destination, or chose not to drive at all. “The street grid was able to completely absorb it,” Schwartz said.

But in 1973, traffic engineers had no concept to describe this, and Schwartz, one of the few at his office who lived in the city and took the subway to work, faced ridicule from colleagues for the idea that extra road capacity might not be the solution to traffic mitigation. But the predicted traffic nightmares never materialized, and neighbors, who never liked the raised highway in first place, pushed against rebuilding it. In the 1980s, Mayor Ed Koch convinced the federal government to repurpose highway funds for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) improvements. New York has never looked back.

Highway removal has come to many locations in the United States since the West Side Highway collapsed, and Schwartz said cities need not be afraid to try it, even if they’re much smaller than the City That Never Sleeps.

“I’m not saying tear 6 and 10 out and build nothing,” he said. “You should invest in transit options to replace them.”

Hidden by the highways Arthur Eddy is an architect at Birchwood Design Group. He has lived in places at both extremes of the walkability and transit spectrum — from highly urban Philadelphia to Atlanta, with its fabled auto-addicted car culture. He worked under Bill Warner to move a river and a freeway in Providence, but has a comparative eye for these other cities as well.

“We don’t really have the traffic of a major city here — we don’t even have Hartford traffic,” Eddy said. “The only place Providence has traffic problems is around these extremely problematic highways.”

The Chestnut Street firm has been working with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council on a plan to revitalize Harris Avenue as a biking corridor — a plan he said is only beginning to address the problems of the Olneyville and Valley neighborhoods, so long as the highway is there.

“If you’re a really experienced biker, right now, you can bike down Harris. You wouldn’t bike it as a novice. And you certainly wouldn’t walk it,” he said, scribbling drawings on a napkin at a downtown eatery. “The highway creates all these border areas that affect even how livable the neighborhoods around them are.”

Eddy first approached biking with the hope of an improved route on the river, but said the biggest argument for Harris Avenue is the dangerous and unpleasant portion of the Dean Street mini-highway that crosses Promenade on its way to Route 6.

Other bike advocates agree. “To bike from the center of our city presently requires that you either take a prohibitively roundabout route, or clench your teeth and anus as you navigate some of Providence’s most bike-unfriendly roads, such as Elmwood Avenue and Cranston Street,” said Eric Weis of the East Coast Greenway Alliance. He also serves as chair of the Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.

Weis said removing the highways was a vision he could get behind. Cranston Street currently is the most direct way to get to the Washington Secondary Path, which goes all the way from the Providence border to the Connecticut line, and the highway is the major obstacle to using it.

Cost is an obvious concern, but the Providence Business News published a front-page story this year announcing a half billion in anticipated costs to rebuild the 6-10 Connector. This highway system sports 14 bridges either over it or part of it that are in fair to poor condition, according to a 2013 state Department of Transportation (DOT) report. A map of Providence bridges really illustrates that unnatural features like expressways account for many of the city’s unaccounted bridge costs.

“The cost of this highway is tremendous compared to a street like Broadway or Westminster,” said Eddy, his napkin now full of buildings and neighborhoods. “On Broadway, you have a fairly minimal piece of road, but you have businesses, housing and apartments, all which pay taxes towards that road. What tax base does a bridge have? We’ll be paying that cost off for decades.”

Instead of a freeway, Eddy envisions the continuation of Smith Hill and Federal Hill development into the valley, with park space continuing from Waterplace Park, transit lanes and a bike path stretching as far as Roger Williams Park.

“With Waterplace Park, Providence has really done what it’s done lots of places, which is to only go halfway,” Eddy said. “Everyone loves WaterFire, but then in between the park isn’t used. And part of the reason for that is that it just stops for no reason at the mall.” With no genuine through-path, the park is not a genuine walkway.”

The city is beautiful, he said, but the highways obscure that.

“My wife and I actually did the CVS 5K (last) year, and we were standing in front of the mall at Francis and Memorial and she looked around and said, ‘Wow, it’s actually nice here’ and I said, ‘Well, yeah, there’s no cars,’” Eddy said. “The beauty of moving the river was that the road already slimmed down a bit, but it could even get narrower to reduce speeding and make it easier to cross.”

A redesign would keep I-95 in place, but with only one highway, there would be no reason for the huge, 20-acre Viaduct interchange that barrels fast-moving cars onto Memorial Boulevard.

Look westJohn Norquist is president of the Congress for the New Urbanism and a past mayor of Milwaukee. He said a city doesn’t have to be like New York or San Francisco to successfully remove a highway.

“Look at Portland, Oregon. It was just a city of 300,000 when it tore out the Harbor Drive Freeway and defeated the Mount Hood Freeway,” Norquist said. “Then it used the money to develop great transit and biking.”

Many may think of the satirical sketch comedy TV series “Portlandia” when they imagine Oregon, but the eco-city of today had been a logging town with plenty of wide highways and car traffic, and like Providence, Portland of the 1980s was a place with a high unemployment rate and disappearing business.

“Today’s Portland is all built off of infrastructure. And now Portland has around 500,000 people and a growing economy,” Norquist said. “The same with Vancouver; it has no highways at all, and it’s population and economy are improving without traffic.”

Norquist said the I-195 project is a good example of the opportunities that a city can avail itself of when a freeway disappears, but noted that removal of urban highways is always better than relocation.

“The highway is a rural piece of technology,” he said. “Look at Boston. It’s got several beltways around it. The Big Dig, which everyone hates, was actually as much a waste of money as people say it was, because it just took all this land and ran I-93 under it for no reason. There’s a hierarchy of roads: interstates for long-distance travel, boulevards to connect parts of a city or town, and smaller streets. I-93 has no business carrying through-traffic right under an urban core when there are plenty of belt roadways for taking it around it.

“It’s hard, because the general public doesn’t always understand road design. When I helped remove the Park East Freeway in Milwaukee, the right-wing talk shows had a field day coming up with excuses for why it had to stay. Traffic would go through the roof, they said. Businesses would die. The neighborhood was really too dangerous because of gang activity to drive directly through. They came up with every racist, vile thing they could say. Of course, the reason the neighborhood was blighted was because of the freeway.”

He noted the early reactions to New York City’s now-successful bike-share system. “Everyone yells that it’s going to be a disaster, but then it’s a success and they shut up.”

Unnatural borderFrank Shea is less of an ally of highway removal than the other people interviewed for this story, but said he had an open mind to what could be done if such a project employed the neighborhood in an equitable way.

“The question, really, is what do you do after a highway is built?” he said. “I’m always glad that Jamaica Plain didn’t get I-95. My brothers worked at a mill that was closed in order to make room for the highway.”

That mill is gone, but the highway never came. In its place is the Southwest Corridor Parkway — one of Boston’s premier bike paths, with narrow, calm streets, park space, and the Orange Line running through it.

Jamaica Plain has rebounded from the days when a highway was expected to cut through it, but Shea remembers how those plans nearly tore the community apart.

“Jamaica Plain was almost destroyed when they first discussed building I-95,” said Shea, executive director of the Olneyville Housing Corporation for the past 15 years. “People started abandoning houses. The state was seizing buildings and knocking them down.”

In Providence, Routes 6 and 10 form a border to a neighborhood that doesn't drive much. More than 40 percent of Olneyville residents don’t own a car. The highway border makes many non-car trips difficult and/or time consuming.

Olneyville was once the center for the West Side, Federal Hill and Silver Lake neighborhoods. That relationship is evident from the leftover names of certain places in Silver Lake, such as the Olneyville Playground, which can only be reached from Olneyville by walking through a trash-filled underpass.

Olneyville's separateness from its neighbors is ironic to Shea. “It’s funny because people always ask what the boundaries of the neighborhood are, and it has one very natural one — the river — and one very unnatural one — the highways,” he said.

]]>Routes 6 and 10 Put Providence in ChokeholdMaking South Coast Premiere Destination by BikeFrank CariniSun, 30 Mar 2014 16:18:16 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/3/30/making-south-coast-premiere-destination-by-bike.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a86059e4b091ed4ddc04e5NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Rep. William Straus, D-Mattapoisett, had good news for
the crowd at Fort Taber attending the fourth annual South Coast Bikeway
Summit: the transportation bond bill poised to pass into law in the coming
weeks carries $370 million for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.By JOYCE ROWLEY/ecoRI News contributor

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Rep. William Straus, D-Mattapoisett, had good news for the crowd at Fort Taber attending the fourth annual South Coast Bikeway Summit: the transportation bond bill poised to pass into law in the coming weeks carries $370 million for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Although they will have to share it with the rest of the state over the next five years, local bikeway planners and cyclists were delighted the bill had made it through the House and Senate.

The summit is the South Coast Bikeway Alliance’s annual meeting to update the municipal bikeway planners and cycling advocacy groups on the bikeway’s progress. About 85 people attended the recent meeting, representing communities from Fall River to Wareham.

The event’s featured speaker, Dave Watson, executive director of MassBike, said the transportation bond included $130 million to fully fund the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Priority 100 projects — the top 100 projects in the Bay State Greenway plan. Twenty million dollars would go to the South Coast Bikeway, of which $19 million would complete the last leg of the bikeway, from Mattapoisett to Bourne, a 19-mile predominantly off-road path.

Both Straus, who chairs the Joint House Transportation Committee, and Watson warned against a possible referendum on next fall’s ballot that would repeal gas tax increases that are funding the bond bill. Straus said that up to $2 billion of the $13.7 billion transportation bond would be lost if the referendum succeeds.

Watson said the South Coast was fortunate to have state representatives and local officials backing the bikeway.

Mayor Jonathan Mitchell, a strong advocate of bicycle paths and lanes, spoke about the national trend of creating viable bicycling trail systems in cities, and said efforts in New Bedford were following that trend.

“There are so many good reasons to encourage biking: exercise, less pollution, reducing obesity,” he said. “Cities that bike tend to be happier cities.”

The New Bedford Harbor Path on the hurricane barrier is making progress, according to Mitchell. When finished, it will be the longest waterfront public access path in the region, he said.

In Fall River, the city’s bike committee is supported by the new Fall River Bicycle Commission, which is comprised of officials from the municipal planning, engineering, police and traffic departments. This new commission is tasked with incorporating local bicycle access where possible.

Dave Pearson, who is chair of the Fall River Bike Committee, outlined the 12-year history of the Quequechan River Regional Bike Path. Now nearing construction of its second and third phases, that trail is a north-south link on the South Coast Bikeway.

Citing the many naysayers at the outset of the project, Pearson said, “Ignore the people who say it can’t be done. Dare to dream.”

Destination spot“Down here on the South Coast, we have a hidden jewel,” said Bob Espindola, president of the South Coast Bikeway Alliance. “We’d like to see people use this as a destination.”

The alliance, comprised of representatives from each municipal bicycling organization, has been meeting monthly since 2011.

In November 2010, a contingent of cyclists from Fall River and another from New Bedford met at Cornell Pond in North Dartmouth, said Julie Kelly, coordinator for Fall River Mass in Motion. The trip was meant to show that the two cities are really just 10 miles apart, an easy bike ride, she said.

“The next thing you know, we had our first summit in February 2011,” Kelly said.

From that first summit came the goal of piecing together a 50-mile bikeway, running from the Rhode Island-Massachusetts line in Swansea to Bourne, the entryway to Cape Cod. The South Coast Bikeway also will act as a spine route for communities to connect local bicycle trails, paths and lanes.

“We want people to see the best places,” said Sarah Clement, New Bedford Mass in Motion community outreach coordinator. “Maybe they’ll stop on their ride and enjoy our beaches, museums, shopping and dining that each of our communities has to offer.

“That’s why at times the bikeway is direct and at times meandering, so we can show the cyclists, tourists and visitors all we have to offer on the South Coast.”

A Yankee RoundaboutThe East Coast Greenway (ECG) will use the South Coast Bikeway as an alternate route to Boston, according to Eric Weis, ECG’s trail program coordinator. The ECG is a member-supported effort to provide a continuous bike path from Key West, Fla., to Calais, Maine. To date, a third of that route has been completed.

Weis presented plans at the March 27 summit to fit the bikeway into the ECG as it travels through Massachusetts. Currently, the ECG leaves Providence and travels north along the Blackstone River Valley bike path to Worcester, then on to Boston. The South Coast Bikeway would make possible a round-trip loop from Providence to Provincetown, and then to Boston by ferry.

Weis said that ECG loops were important features of bike paths, as they helped create a destination ride and a focus for bicycle advocacy. Here, the loop would be called the “Yankee Roundabout.”

“The ECG brings national advertising to the bikeway,” said Bonne DeSousa, alliance secretary and chair of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Recreational Trail. “We see the South Coast as a premiere destination.”

]]>Ocean State Clean Cities Pushes Alternative FuelsFrank CariniMon, 10 Mar 2014 19:37:13 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2014/3/10/ocean-state-clean-cities-pushes-alternative-fuels.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc0a02KINGSTON, R.I. — Even if you don’t think burning petroleum is melting the
polar ice cap, there are plenty of good reasons to join the movement to
reduce fossil-fuel use, including national security and cleaner air, to
name just a few.By JOHN PANTALONE/ecoRI News contributor

KINGSTON, R.I. — Even if you don’t think burning petroleum is melting the polar ice cap, there are plenty of good reasons to join the movement to reduce fossil-fuel use, including national security and cleaner air, to name just a few.

The Ocean State Clean Cities Coalition stands on the front lines of the effort to lower Rhode Island’s carbon footprint, by encouraging the use of renewable energy, new technologies and increased mass transit. Based at the University of Rhode Island’s Outreach Center, the program has been operating since 1998, about five years after the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established Clean Cities programs through the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

Following an inactive period, Ocean State Clean Cities has enjoyed a revival since 2008, when its current director, Wendy Lucht, took over.

After grinding away at building a coalition that now includes more than 50 stakeholders across fuel and transportation businesses and industries, environmental groups, and federal and state agencies, Ocean State Clean Cities has begun to show significant progress. In large part because of the program’s efforts, Rhode Island has installed 50 electric-vehicle charging stations throughout the state.

Rhode Island also has joined with several other states in pledges to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road in the next 12 years. Gov. Lincoln Chafee also has submitted plans to transition the state’s fleet to alternative-fuel vehicles by using Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money to pay for the cost difference between an alternative-fuel vehicle and a comparably sized gasoline-powered car.

“When I came here in 2008, the organization had become inactive,” Lucht said. “Most of the stakeholders weren’t in the same positions they held when they joined, and the board was dormant. It took a while to build things back up.”

Ocean State Clean Cities attempts to convince municipal officials and private vehicle fleet owners to convert to alternative fuels and vehicles. This is part of the national strategy by DOE, which has identified its goal as reducing petroleum use by 2.5 billion gallons a year through 2020 by encouraging mass transit, smarter driving habits, and embrace fuel-saving techniques and technologies. DOE has estimated that its Clean Cities programs have saved 5 billion gallons of oil since 1993, with the most significant reductions occurring during the past five years.

U.S. Clean Cities says it has some 18,000 stakeholders in more than 100 coalitions nationwide. According to its website, it “has funded more than 500 transportation projects nationwide and distributed $377 million in project awards, which have leveraged an additional $740 million in matching funds and in-kind contributions from other organizations in the public and private sectors.”

Lucht said Ocean State Clean Cities has focused on providing education on alternative fuels and petroleum reduction in transportation fleets, and has worked with state officials on policy issues.

“We often find that we’re educating fleet owners about alternative fuels and federal policies and how they relate to Rhode Island,” she said. “There’s no question that economics is the driving force behind the movement for alternative vehicles and fuels.”

Lucht noted that Clean Cities tries to deal with obstacles to conversion, including range anxiety about non-gas-powered vehicles, technological phobia, resistance to change and safety concerns. “It’s our job to educate people so we can get past these obstacles,” she said.

While it pushes the use of electric and hybrid vehicles, and biodiesel and propane alternatives to gasoline, Lucht said Clean Cities encounters complications with such things as getting the state to convert Department of Transportation vehicles to biodiesel.

“It’s complicated because biodiesel requires winter additives, and you always have issues with winter temperatures changing,” she said. “Still, any conversion we can get helps the overall situation.”

Clean Cities encourages technological development to address issues such as idling, which occurs because vehicle batteries lose power when they’re not running. So, for instance, a fuel-delivery truck or a refrigeration truck burns a great deal of fuel while idling, which is costly and adds to air pollution. Technology companies, such as Warwick-based eNow Inc., are coming up with various technologies like solar systems for battery recharging to power truck liftgates, refrigeration, lighting and equipment monitoring.

Rhode Island’s 50 electric charging stations have been the biggest success so far for Ocean State Clean Cities, according to Lucht. The so-called “Top 50 Project” was initiated in discussions with the former director of URI’s Outreach Center, Marion Gold, who began a tenure as commissioner of the state Office of Energy Resources (OER) in August 2012.

“We still had federal stimulus money left over, and we knew transportation was an area that needed attention,” Gold said.

“We had charging stations on our agenda and had been researching locations,” Lucht said about the evolution of the project. “Marion saw this as a good opportunity to move forward with it.”

It took time to identify sites, including many at businesses and shopping centers, and 14 on state property, which Gold said were the most difficult to arrange. Business owners who host charging stations agreed to absorb the electricity costs for three years, and the state is engaged in a one-year pilot program to track use and cost.

"It takes a strong public-private partnership to create a clean and efficient transportation future," Gold said. “In Rhode Island, we spend over $1 billion in the transportation sector annually, primarily for petroleum products. Transitioning away from fossil fuels with this dual approach of a statewide network and transitioning the state's fleet will help the environment and it will keep more dollars in the Rhode Island economy."

Gold noted that the eastern seaboard states have all agreed to transition vehicle fleets to alternatives, in part because those states spend $77 billion on transportation fuels, most of which leaves the region. The New England states also agreed last December on an initiative to increase renewable energy and infrastructure via the New England States Committee on Electricity.

While such gains are encouraging, Lucht said regulatory policy and infrastructure remain significant issues. If drivers use less gas, that means less tax revenue, so how would the state make up the difference, especially in respect to maintaining transportation infrastructure?

“We will have to figure out how to compensate if less gas used is used,” Lucht said. “Who will pay for infrastructure is a big question?”

Editor's note: John Pantalone is assistant professor and chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media. This story was produced as part of a Department of Journalism project focused on environmental and energy reporting.

]]>Bicycle Sharing Coming to ProvidenceFrank CariniThu, 05 Dec 2013 23:21:38 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2013/12/5/bicycle-sharing-coming-to-providence.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc0a00PROVIDENCE — A bike-sharing program is on its way. If all goes as planned,
the city will soon have some 200 bicycles and 20 bike-share stations
scattered across the East, West and South sides.By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — A bike-sharing program is on its way. If all goes as planned, the city will soon have some 200 bicycles and 20 bike-share stations scattered across the East, West and South sides.

The Board of Contract & Supply recently awarded management of the project to Alta Bicycle Share of Portland, Ore. Alta runs bike-share programs for Boston and New York City. Social Bicycles Inc. of New York will provide the bikes and bike stations. Dynamic Bicycles of Bristol will have its chainless pedal system used in the bikes.

The program won’t be operational until Alta finds a sponsor, or set of sponsors, to help finance the project. The company said the bike-share program will be up and running within six months of securing sponsorship. Alta intends to line up a sponsor(s) soon because of its relationships with many companies in North America.

“We expect to have a quick and successful sponsorship process,” Alta CEO Michael Jones wrote in a letter to the city.

The program will be revenue-neutral to the city, leaving Alta to raise an estimated $800,000 to launch the program and collect the $500,000 needed each year for operation.

Many details still need to be worked out, but it’s expected that riders will participate through memberships — paid daily, monthly or annually — to access the program's bicycles. With a membership, the bikes would be available anytime, with the first 30 minutes free. Members would pay an estimated $2 for each additional hour. A one-year membership is estimated to cost between $60 and $80.

“Yeah! Sign me up. I can’t wait,” said Amelia Rose, chairwoman of the city’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force, when news of the bike-share plan was announced at the committee’s Dec. 5 meeting.

Additional planning also needs to be done with the Department of Public Works for bike rack installations, signage and painting on roads. The city is also looking for help from groups such as the Rhode Island Bike Coalition and Recycle-A-Bike to educate drivers and bikers about the rules of the road.

“A lot of people don’t even know what side of the road to ride on,” task force member Angie Bannerman Ankoma said.

Brown University and Johnson & Wales University are expected to host some of the bike hubs as part of the program's first phase of development. Rose asked that public high schools also have access to the bikes.

Alta conducted bike-share studies for Providence in 2010 and 2011. The reports recommended 22 stations across a 1.4-square-mile area centered downtown. The suggested bike hubs locations are expected to be applied to the bike-share system.

Social Bicycles doesn't require electrified kiosks, but relies on racks for parking. The bikes are self-locking and can even be parked away from a rack. Riders can locate them through a GPS tracking system. A smart phone app is typically needed to reserve and locate an available bike.

]]>Providence’s New Bike Plan Embraces Pedal PowerFrank CariniThu, 19 Sep 2013 13:31:53 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2013/9/19/providences-new-bike-plan-embraces-pedal-power.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09fePROVIDENCE — Making the city more bicycle friendly means more than signing
and striping bike corridors — which was the main focus of the original
Providence bicycling plan. The city’s new bike master plan aims to make
cycling a viable option for getting around.By FRANK CARINI/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Making the city more bicycle friendly means more than signing and striping bike corridors — which was the main focus of the original Providence bicycling plan. The city’s new bike master plan aims to make cycling a viable option for getting around.

“The idea is for it to be considered normal to use your bike instead of a car,” said Bill DeSantis, the corporate director of bike/pedestrian transportation for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB). “We’ve turned the corner on bike importance. This plan will keep biking on the city’s radar as Providence grows and changes.”

The Bike Providence plan will allow the city, according to its authors, to create a local bicycling vision using the five E’s of bicycle planning: education, enforcement, engineering, encouragement and evaluation. They note that cities with comprehensive bicycling plans have higher levels of cycling participation.

Providence’s previous plan, fully implemented five years ago, lacked the essential education and encouragement components, according to Eric Weis, trail program coordinator for East Coast Greenway Alliance. That plan, Weis said, was built largely on identifying good bike routes.

But local officials and bicycling advocates quickly realized that to coax people out of their cars and to adequately address a growing population looking get around by bike, simply identifying good biking routes didn’t have much of an impact.

“The first four E’s go hand in hand,” Weis said. “If we want to encourage more people to bring cycling into their lives, we need to help them gain the know-how needed to be savvy enough to ride with traffic.”

DeSantis told the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) on Monday night that this new plan will be the city’s guide to bicycling and will be relevant five to 10 years from now. The soon-to-be released plan has been in the works for more than a year.

According to DeSantis, bicycle infrastructure must be planned and developed in concert with education programs, encouragement to promote biking as a safe, healthy, environmentally friendly and economical choice for transportation, and increased enforcement by local agencies of violations by both motorists and bicyclists.

Providence’s new bike plan — its authors call it a flexible and adaptable document — will guide the investment of future funding into the local bicycle network through a program of recommended short-, medium- and long-term improvements. It will address bicycle detour routes during road and bridge construction. It will be referenced during the scheduling of pavement projects.

The plan addresses Providence’s bicycling trouble spots, such as Allens Avenue. The busy, industrial street has painted bike lanes, but with little to no enforcement of parking laws in that section of the city, motorists regularly park in the bike lane without fear of getting ticketed, according to Weis.

“Because there is no enforcement, fewer cyclists feel comfortable biking on that busy street when the bike lane is cluttered with parked cars,” he said. “And since there are fewer cyclists, police are less likely to enforce.”

Weis also noted that Allens Avenue bike lanes are littered with debris and sand, making a challenging road to bike even more unpredictable.

The plan also addresses the need to better connect the West and East sides of the city, and recommends creating more bicycle parking downtown with hitching posts, higher-capacity bike racks and on-street biking corrals.

“Downtown businesses prefer making the streets, like Westminster, more accommodating for bicycles and pedestrians,” Weis said. “Bikers and pedestrians drive their success. If we increase and improve our bike infrastructure, more people will choice to ride bikes instead of drive cars. That means less pressure on our roads and on our pubic transportation system. It’s like the old adage, ‘If you build it, they will come.’”

Before the Bike Providence plan is made public, it needs to be reviewed by the BPAC and City Hall. The project, for which VHB was hired as a consultant, was funded by the state Department of Transportation and a Rhode Island Division of Planning Challenge Grant.

“The plan address the good and bad regarding biking in Providence,” DeSantis said.

There are plenty of both.

Making connections There are 37.5 miles of bikeways within city limits, but there are gaps in the existing network and a lack of connectivity to residential, employment and multimodal centers. The plan addresses those challenges, but the fixes aren’t things that can be accomplished overnight. There’s the obvious need for funding, and there is always reluctance to change.

Providence’s new bike plan, however, is important to the city’s future economic viability and health, according to those behind its development. Many U.S. cities and communities, such as Chapel Hill, N.C., are currently drafting or updating bicycling plans.

Recognized bike-friendly urban areas such as Portland, Maine, and Portland, Ore., Minneapolis, Davis, Calif., Seattle and Cambridge, Mass., have plans in place that have guided the development of bike infrastructure, planning and promotion.

Of course, bicycling enhancements in those cities took time, and the local political will needed to be massaged. Portland, Ore., for example, wasn’t always the bicycling mecca it is today. Like most U.S. cities, its highway/street system was car-orientated. But the collapse of the logging industry in the 1970s transformed the city, opening the door to new ideas. A biking community slowly took root.

“It took Portland 30 years to get where it is today,” said Jack Madden, owner of Legend Bicycle on Brook Street.

Today, Portland’s bicycling mode share — the percentage of travelers using a particular type of transportation or number of trips using said type — is about 6 percent. Providence is closing in on a 2 percent share.

Compared to some more progressive cities, Providence is getting a late jump on embracing bicycling as a suitable and sustainable mode of transportation. Advocates say that delay isn’t an obstacle.

“Our transportation culture has long been dominated by cars,” said David Everett, principal planner for the city. “Change is hard, but there’s already a change in the culture going on. The public needs to want this, and it has shown it does.”

But transforming Providence into a vibrant bicycling community won’t be easy. It will require city officials, planners and developers to accept modifying the future way curbs are cut and streets laid out. It will mean embracing traffic-calming measures, and reworking roadways to better accommodate other modes of transportation. It will mean reconfiguring traffic-light cycles to account for the speed of both cars and bicycles. It will mean incorporating signage, markings (bike boxes, buffered bikeways, colored lanes) and infrastructure (cycle tracks, bike paths) that best suit a neighborhood and/or roadway.

It likely will mean getting rid of parking spaces, and it most certainly will mean learning to share the road better with others.

Bicycling 101Providence’s new master bike plan reaches across all modes of transportation — bus, bike, rail, pedestrian and car — and seeks to develop a prioritized plan of on- and off-road bicycling improvements.

To develop and implement a successful citywide bicycling network, however, DeSantis said one thing must come before all others: education.

Local biking advocates say they too often see: bicyclers wearing headphones; riding on sidewalks, with no hands, or against traffic; texting; and displaying a lack of respect for other modes of transportation.

“Riding with no hands the wrong way down a one-way street may have been cool twenty years ago,” said Everett, who recently witnessed such a spectacle, “but the times have changed.”

Hustling and bustling city streets that must accommodate cars, delivery trucks, RIPTA buses, bicycles and pedestrians can’t afford ignorant travelers, whether they are behind the wheel, on a skateboard or riding a bike.

“I ride my bike like I drive my car. You get more respect from motorists,” DeSantis said. The North Attleboro, Mass., resident rides his bike to the VHB downtown office at least once a week. The 14-mile ride takes him about an hour.

Despite his passion for cycling and his desire to see more people partake, DeSantis, who has been a highway engineer for 37 years, doesn’t advocate for the masses to take to the streets with Schwinns, Raleighs and Birias. The city and its collective bicycling IQ isn’t yet ready for such an influx, but preparations are well underway. They will be outlined in the final draft of Bike Providence.

“If you simply get more people to ride bikes, you’re going to see more people get hurt,” said DeSantis, a certified traffic cycling instructor. “You can’t just paint bike lanes on streets. You need a strong education component coupled with an infrastructure program. Until we’re serious about doing the education part, we can’t make it happen.”

He noted that in Europe and most notably in Denmark bicycling education starts early. Cycling is taught in schools, written exams are administered and road tests required. That emphasis on education, he said, makes a big difference when it comes to safety and keeping crash rates low.

In Copenhagen, where bicycling holds a 35 percent mode share, the crash rate is far lower than in most U.S. cities with much lower mode shares. Last year in Boston, for example, five cyclists were killed.

“Advocates all too often overlook the education component of bicycling,” he said. “Europe has better programs in place for providing cycling education, and it shows. It’s ingrained in the culture.”

Local biking advocates say they aren’t necessarily advocating for public schools to incorporate bicycling education into the curriculum — heck, K-12 art classes are disappearing — but they know simply strapping a helmet onto a youngster won’t advance his biking abilities, no more than just putting a seat belt on a 17-year-old would improve her ability to drive a car.

In Providence, the recommended need for better educating the collective biking community can’t fall solely on the city’s shoulders, said Everett, who is managing the Bike Providence project. That task must be shared among the BPAC, organizations such as Recycle-A-Bike, the state Department of Transportation and various other stakeholders.

Better education regarding the rules of the road, however, isn’t a one-way street. Motorists also need to respect other forms of transportation.

“If someone eager to become a bike commuter hits the street and isn’t given the proper space and motorists don’t use their signals when turning, it discourages them to ride,” Weis said.

Share the roadBicyclists come in all shapes and sizes. There are the “gear guys” who ride long and fast. There are local commuters who bike to work, and there are kids and older folks who enjoy bicycling. The Bike Providence plan addresses these various skill sets by rating the city’s roadways. The four levels are color-coded, with green representing routes requiring the least amount of cycling experience and red representing the most challenging ones.

At the moment, red dominates the color scheme, but as the new bike master plan begins to address specific traffic stressors, such as intersections, citywide, the map will gradually feature more yellow and orange.

“All cyclists are not the same,” DeSantis said. “They don’t all ride with the same level of confidence. Someone who bikes every day has much more experience than the guy who bikes once a year on Bike to Work Day.”

The plan allows Providence to be prepared for bicycling's growing popularity. With 40 percent of all U.S. trips by car less than 5 miles and 20 percent less than 2 miles, travelers are beginning to realize they could save money and perhaps even time by riding a bike instead driving a car. Commuter bicyclers are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. bike industry.

To prepare for the trend’s inevitable emergence here, Everett believes Providence will eventually incorporate some type of bike-sharing program, perhaps one similar to the Hubway system in Boston.

In fact, the city this week began soliciting bids from vendors to run a pilot public bike-sharing program. Bids are due Oct. 7.

Some biking advocates, such as DeSantis, however, don’t believe Providence has the infrastructure yet in place to handle such a program or the money available to fund the prohibitive start-up costs. And, of course, the community’s collective transportation IQ needs to rise a few points.

]]>Rail Rights of Way as Important as Bike TrailsFrank CariniTue, 27 Aug 2013 14:47:34 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2013/8/27/rail-rights-of-way-as-important-as-bike-trails.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a86059e4b091ed4ddc04e4Many miles of abandoned and underutilized rail routes in both Massachusetts
and Rhode Island have been transformed into bike paths, commonly referred
to as “rails to trails.” These popular projects are growing in number, and
have broad support.By FRANK CARINI/ecoRI News staff

Many miles of abandoned and underutilized rail routes in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been transformed into bike paths, commonly referred to as “rails to trails.” These popular projects are growing in number, and have broad support.

In Rhode Island, there are about 60 miles of paved bike path and another 25 miles is under design. In Massachusetts, there are more than 200 miles of paved bike path. Many of those miles in both states were once rail rights of way — a resource that some believe should be banked for the future.

“I’m dead set against it,” said Ernest Loewenstein, vice president of the Association for Public Transportation. “Once these rights are gone, it’ll be hell getting them back. No thought is being given for the possible future use as actual rail routes.”

The Newton resident isn’t against bicycling; he just sees the activity as more recreation and less transportation. “Commuting by bicycle isn’t practical,” Loewenstein said. “It’s great on a nice spring day, but difficult on a humid summer day or on a cold, slushy winter day.”

The longtime public transit advocate noted this summer’s reopening of the the Cape Cod & Hyannis Railroad as an example of the benefits of maintaining rail rights of way. The line last serviced the Boston-to-Cape Cod route 25 years ago. Massachusetts officials pitched the reopening of service this past Memorial Day as a way to lessen traffic congestion, decrease air pollution and boost tourism to the Cape. Both passengers and officials have called the route’s return a success.

“The CapeFlyer is a good thing that was done right,” said Loewenstein, an optometrist by profession. “Some attention is being given to our rail system but not nearly enough. The Legislature isn’t willing to fund it. Public transit, especially our rail system, needs to be better supported. There’s no connection between North and South Station, and there’s no real connection to the Seaport.”

The Association for Public Transportation was created in the 1970s, when Massachusetts was in the midst of re-examining its transportation infrastructure and needs. At the time, Loewenstein was active with the Sierra Club before getting involved for three-plus decades with the Association for Public Transportation.

Today, the association is a small and not very active organization that is concerned the MBTA is more focused on non-fare revenue than improving and expanding transit service. Loewenstein acknowledged that not all underused rail rights of way are equally valuable, but noted that the future importance of some shouldn’t be overlooked for short-term financial gains. He also said single-track routes shouldn’t be disregarded, noting that about half of the Swiss rail system is single track.

Established in 1983 as an amendment to the National Trail Systems Act, the railbanking statute allows a railroad to remove all of its equipment, with the exception of bridges, tunnels and culverts, from a corridor and to turn the corridor over to any qualified private organization or public agency that has agreed to maintain it for future rail use.

Loewenstein said this practice is easier said than accomplished, because of pressures that would come to bear if trains were reintroduced to most now-silent corridors. “Once the conversion has taken place, there will be little possibility of reversing it, as the bicycle lobby would combine with the NIMBY set along the right of way to fight such a move,” he wrote in a letter to the editor that appeared in the Aug. 11 Boston Sunday Globe.

In a recent paper in Urban Studies, two planning scholars make the case that transit produces agglomeration. They report that this hidden economic value of transit could be worth anywhere from $1.5 million to $1.8 billion a year, depending on the size of the city. The bigger the city, they find, the bigger the agglomeration benefit of expanding transit — an idea Loewenstein, the Association for Public Transporation and others have been promoting for years.

The concept is why Loewenstein and other public transit supporters believe many underused rail rights of way in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island should be reintroduced to trains, not transformed into bike trails and walking paths — despite the many benefits of both.

Public transit improvements could cause more clustered and higher-density employment and foster urban growth, according to the aforementioned paper.

Loewenstein believes improving and expanding rail service in the Northeast corridor by reopening unused lines would bring people more easily to more places, where they could then walk or bike to their destination. Better and more accessible public transit, he said, would help get people out of their cars.

At the peak of the rail era in 1916, more than 270,000 miles of track crisscrossed the United States, carrying freight and passengers and fueling the economy. Today, nearly 13,500 of those miles, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are now rails to trails, according to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

NEWPORT, R.I. — A bike path running the length of Aquidneck Island reached another milestone recently, representing a rare show of collaboration between communities on civic projects.

The latest phase of the 18-mile Aquidneck Island Bikeway, costing between $2 million and $4 million, is expected to benefit recreational bikers as well as commuters. The bike lane heads from Easton’s Beach, along the western edge of Aquidneck Island, to the new Sakonnet Bridge bike lane in Portsmouth. A bike path is planned for Tiverton. The bikeway also connects with the Mt. Hope Bridge, although bike travel over the bridge, which connects to Bristol and eventually the East Bay Bike Path, is perilous.

At a July 15 ceremony near Naval Station Newport, the project was hailed as a collaboration between local, state and federal agencies, as well as serving as a rare show of cooperation between neighboring cities and towns.

“What else can we do to link our cities and towns?” Mayor Harry Winthrop asked.

Representatives from Middletown and Portsmouth also noted that the bike path will benefit the local economy and tourism, while easing traffic congestion. Sharing schools and other municipal services were also suggested.

Bicycler Bob Gessler of Portsmouth recalled when roads had too many potholes for biking. “I’m glad to see the bike path is happening," he said. "It’s got a lot of great potential.”

The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission is overseeing the bikeway project. The $75,000 design study was funded by the van Beuren Charitable Foundation and is expected to take a year to complete. The remainder of the funding will likely come from federal transportation dollars.

The original concept was conceived through a multi-model transportation study completed in 2011. So far, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) has spent $216,000 for planning and striping of bike lanes on Coddington Highway and Memorial Boulevard.

About a third of the bikeway is complete, and most of the lanes will share existing vehicle roadways. A portion of the path will eventually be created to avoid a congested portion of West Main Road in Middletown. The larger $25 million “rail and trail” segment of the Aquidneck Island Bikeway is expected to be completed in 10 years. The master project includes a rebuilt pier on the western edge of the island for picnics, water access and a boat landing.

Tina Dolen, executive director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, said a destination known for boating is now a pioneer for biking and regional planning. “The bike path will be an anchor for Aquidneck Island,” she said.

In addition to the environmental and health benefits, Dolen said the bikeway also helps low-income residents and workers travel and gain access to walkable areas and public transit.

]]>Electric Vehicles Gaining Traction in Car MarketFrank CariniMon, 15 Jul 2013 02:04:38 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2013/7/14/electric-vehicles-gaining-traction-in-car-market.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09f7KINGSTON, R.I. — Electric-vehicle sales are on the rise, prices are
dropping, 13 models are in showrooms and new public charging stations are
on the way.By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

KINGSTON, R.I. — Electric-vehicle sales are on the rise, prices are dropping, 13 models are in showrooms and new public charging stations are on the way.

It seems the EV, in all its varieties, is at least gaining some traction with consumers. Sales, though below projections, have tripled since 2012.

As the shift from novelty to a viable product continues, the vehicles and the infrastructure for recharging are improving.

During the July 11 "Take Charge Two!" electric-vehicle conference at the University of Rhode Island, Paul Young of charging-station maker Juice Bar noted that 100 years ago automobile gas was bought in a hardware store. Today, there are some 120,000 gas stations in the United States.

EVs are charged at home, at work and new public stations are going in daily. Rhode Island has about nine public stations and is shooting for 50 more by the end of August. According to National Grid, contracts have been signed for 26 new charging stations.

Young said conspicuous charging stations attract more EV drivers. After lackluster use, the charging stations at T.F. Green Airport and the Wickford Junction train station, owned by Juice Bar, are getting more use, he said. “The cars are finally here now, people are really going to start buying the cars," he said.

Charging stations are becoming more user friendly and accessible. Massachusetts has about 200 public stations. Rhode Island has until the end of August, when federal stimulus money disappears, to install 50 new charging stations. Municipalities have been reluctant to host the stations due to worries of giving away electricity and from having to cut through a bunch of local red tape. With the exception of Kohl's, most retailers haven't embraced charging stations either. Kohl’s, however, has learned that charging stations keep customers shopping longer.

"It's a huge marketing opportunity," said Al Dahlberg, head of Project Get Ready Rhode Island and a planner and advocate for charging stations.

National Grid is partnering with Rhode Island and Massachusetts to run charging stations. The utility is also ramping up residential charging infrastructure. “The interest level is absolutely building,” said John Gilbrook, project manager for National Grid. “(We are) on the precipice of a major shift in transportation.”

New charging stations are easier to use, and national standards are being developed for members of charging networks. Universities allow students to pay for charges with school IDs. Public garages are including charging costs on parking passes.

Green benefitsThe environmental benefits of driving EVs instead of gas-powered vehicles haven't resonated with consumers, according to Abigail Anthony of Environment Northeast. A Nissan Leaf releases 60 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than a traditional economy car, she said, because electricity from the power grid is cleaner than gasoline, it’s easier to control emissions from a single power plant than from thousands of cars and electricity from the grid also contains a mix of renewable-energy sources.

Don Wineberg said he hopes to install solar at his home in Jamestown to charge his Tesla Model S. “The number one reason that people buy (EVs) is for the environmental concern," he said. "That was true for me."

Wars fought over oil, global warming and sea-level rise prompted Wineberg to embrace domestically produced electricity to fuel his vehicle, which gets 210 miles to a charge. “I wanted to get off of that (oil) addiction,” he said.

Chevy Volt salesman Paul Dragich of Masse Chevrolet in East Providence said most EV buyers want to own the car of the future. “Everyone just wants to be part of the cutting-edge technology," he said.

The cost, however, is still too steep for many consumers. Anthony said other incentives could help, such as access to preferred driving lanes, state tax credits and discounted registration fees.

Top modelsSome 41,000 EVs were sold in the United States in first half of this year. But EVs are still a small segment of the market. The Nissan Leaf has seen the biggest sales increase. Others are lowering prices and leasing costs.

]]>Providence Looks to Put Pedestrians FirstFrank CariniFri, 12 Jul 2013 19:58:01 +0000http://www.ecori.org/transportation/2013/7/12/providence-looks-to-put-pedestrians-first.html546d61b5e4b049f0b10b95c5:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09cb:54a8605ae4b091ed4ddc09f4PROVIDENCE — For years, city planners have been attempting to transform
downtown into a place where people want to spend time.By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — For years, city planners have been attempting to transform downtown into a place where people want to spend time. Many one-way thoroughfares, designed to speed drivers to and from the highways as quickly as possible, have been restriped as two-way streets, resulting in slower moving traffic, a more navigable downtown and a safer experience for pedestrians. Examples include Washington Street, Empire Street, and Weybosset Street.

Additionally, the city has begun incorporating visually appealing streetscapes — see Weybosset Street — that include planters and decorative street lights to encourage people to linger downtown.

The city is now embarking on Phase 3 of the Downtown Circulator project, which includes the widening of sidewalks, the redesign of dangerous intersections, changing more streets from one-way to two-way, reducing automobile lanes, adding bike lanes and attempting to revitalize Kennedy Plaza.

The city’s Department of Planning & Development presented this vision to the public at a well-attended July 10 meeting.

LaSalle Square The intersection in front of the Hasbro Building at the west end of Fountain Street is dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians, city officials admitted. Cars funnel from Broadway, Atwells Avenue and Sabin Street onto Fountain Street and Empire Street in a poorly choreographed manor.

This intersection will be redesigned to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety, according to city planner Robert Azar. Sidewalks will be widened and squared off to tighten the intersection for motorists. Empire Street, still one-way through LaSalle Square, will be extended as a two-way street, allowing northbound drivers access to Broadway, Atwells Avenue and I-95, Azar said.

Fountain Street will be reduced from three lanes to two, and have its southern sidewalk extended. A streetlight will be added to direct traffic through the new intersection, and crosswalks will guide pedestrians safely from one end of the square to the other.

In addition to widening the sidewalk and reducing the number of lanes on Fountain Street, the city will paint a bike lane allowing bicyclers to seamlessly travel from Broadway to Fountain Street and into Kennedy Plaza using uninterrupted bike lanes, Azar said.

Emmett Square The intersection of Exchange, Francis, Dorrance and Fountain streets near Fleming’s and the Weston Hotel is perhaps the least-friendly pedestrian intersection in the city. Those crossing the intersection are required to navigate a maze of crosswalks and raised islands while cars approach from multiple directions.

According to Azar, both Dorrance Street, in front of the Biltmore Hotel, and Exchange Street, along the north side of Burnside Park, will become two-way streets in the redesigned intersection. On-ramp style turning lanes like the one connecting Exchange Street to Dorrance Street will be eliminated, along with their associated raised islands. Curbs will be pulled out to make the intersection better defined. The new intersection design will slow traffic and make pedestrian crossings shorter and more logical, Azar said.

Kennedy PlazaThe most controversial project to be undertaken during Phase 3 of the Downtown Circulator will be the redesign of Kennedy Plaza. The city, in partnership with RIPTA and the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, plans to change traffic flow, reduce bus berths and redesign sidewalks in an attempt to make the square more accessible for pedestrians and automobiles.

Exchange Street north of Burnside Park and Fulton Street north of the Superman Building will be changed from one-way to two-way streets, according to Azar. The section of Washington Street between the RIPTA bus terminal and the ice skating rink will be raised to sidewalk level to slow traffic and eliminate a visual barrier dividing the bus hub and Burnside Park. The Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy has plans to raise the rest of Washington Street in Kennedy Plaza during future upgrades to the plaza’s parks.

Bus berths in the plaza will be reduced from 19 to 14 by eliminating the inner berths running parallel to Washington Street and Fulton Street, according to RIPTA. The additional sidewalk space created will become a pedestrian-friendly space with seating and amenities. Bus berths will be added to Fulton Street and the connector road between Washington and Exchange, west of the skating rink. City and RIPTA officials both said that through the redesign RIPTA’s presence in Kennedy Plaza be maintained.

Though it’s not finalized, intercity buses such as Greyhound and Peter Pan, will likely be moved to the plaza’s perimeter, possibly on Exchange Street.

Public concerns Many in attendance at the July 10 public hearing feared RIPTA’s service in Kennedy Plaza would be negatively affected by the redesign. Ele Felaco, a longtime RIPTA rider, said that as she gets older, transferring quickly from one bus to another in Kennedy Plaza has become more difficult. She fears she will miss her busses if they are spread around the periphery of the square. “And what about when it snows?” she asked, “will the sidewalks be cleared?”

Mark Therrien, RIPTA’s assistant general manager of planning, acknowledged that her issues were legitimate and assured her that RITPA and the city were working together to minimize impacts on riders. In the past, RIPTA officials have mentioned grouping bus routes logically to cut down on transfer distances.

Barry Schiller, a vocal and respected supporter of public transportation, questioned the panel about adequate bus shelters in the plaza. Bonnie Nickerson, from the city’s Department of Planning & Development, moderated the question-and-answer session. She said the number of bus shelters in the plaza would increase despite the reduced number of berths.

Randall Rose, of the bus advocacy group RIPTA Riders, questioned the city’s ability to keep riders safe after berths were decentralized. He worried that police would be spread thin and unable to patrol the berths on the perimeter of the park. Rose also noted that changing the traffic flow around the park could negatively effect fire truck routes through the city.

Nickerson noted that the Police and Fire departments have been included in the processes and are able to voice concerns as they arise.

Greg Gerritt, director of Prosperity for R.I., accused the city of trying to displace the homeless population from the park by gentrifying the area. “Where are the people who currently spend hours each day in the park going to go?” he asked.

Nickerson said there would be more seating for people who spend hours each day in the park, and that the goal of the project wasn’t to exclude people from the park but to invite more people in.

Cliff Wood, executive director of the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, also pushed back against Gerritt’s claim, saying anyone who uses the space well, by allowing others to use it freely as well will be welcome in the park. “Is this going to be a democratic space? Absolutely,” Wood said.

The city plans to finalize its designs for Phase 3 of the Downtown Circulator by this fall. It expects to begin work on Kennedy Plaza in March 2014 and complete work in Kennedy Plaza in June 2014. All projects are scheduled to be completed in 2015.

The first of these new stations was unveiled June 18 during a ceremony at Roger William University. On hand were Gov. Lincoln Chafee, state officials and three electric vehicles — a Chevy Volt, a BMW Active E and Tesla S.

The initiative is part of a local and national push to encourage a sustained switch from fossil fuel- to electric-powered cars and trucks. While national sales of plug-in EVs have grown to about 8,000 a month, demand is still well off pace of the goal of 1 million sold by 2015 set by President Obama.

During the recent ceremony, speakers noted that the cost of buying and owning an electric vehicle is getting cheaper. Federal and state tax credits reduce the price for the vehicle and home charging stations. Edward White, vice president of business strategy for National Grid, said the cost of charging an EV is equivalent to $1.14 per gallon of gas vs. a $4 per-gallon price at the pump.

Roger Williams University president Donald Farish said the biggest hurdle to EV growth is convincing car buyers that they won’t run out of power on the road. Multiple charging stations, he said, “say physiologically we can make this work.”

“If we build it, they will come,” White said.

The exact locations for the new charging stations haven’t yet been determined, but they are expected at other schools, retailers, restaurants, and state parks and beaches. “We’re going to get it done. We’ll have 50 charging stations up by August 15,” said Al Dahlberg, founder of Rhode Island’s EV planning program Project Get Ready.

Dalhgberg must act fast. He’s working with the state, National Grid, the private charging network ChargePoint and the University of Rhode Island to install the charging stations before the end of the summer, when $781,000 in federal stimulus money must be spent.

Once in place, consumers will still need convincing that EVs are a value and better for the environment. “Electric miles are cheaper, cleaner and more secure than gas miles,” Dahlberg said.

While a new Tesla can cost up to $95,000, EV prices have dropped overall this year to as low as $20,000. Leases have come down to about $250 a month.

“It’s starting to catch on,” White said. “It’s not as intimidating; it’s just not for those who have a lot of money.”

The state will do its part by mandating that new state vehicles are either hybrids or EVs. Police and other specialty vehicles are exempt.

Roger Williams University professor David Corbin, owner of the electric BMW, has been driving his EV to the campus from his home in Boston for the past 18 months. His wife drives a Chevy Volt and they both love going electric, he said. “I’m a car geek. I’m also an architect, so I believe in all this stuff.”

Current charging stations in Rhode Island are at the Wickford Junction commuter rail station, Jamestown Bridge, Schneider Electric in West Kingston, Cardi’s Furniture in West Warwick, T.F. Green Airport, two at Roger Williams University, two at private businesses, Rhode Island College in Providence and at four car dealerships.